Tech Outperformer Takes Top Spot

Options trading continued to grow in 2025, setting another record for trading volume. While lists of the year’s best and worst stock performers are readily available, this analysis takes a different approach, focusing on the top stocks for options traders. This deep dive examines four-week straddle returns for individual stocks throughout the year, ranking them based on various return metrics.

To determine which stocks delivered the most attractive options plays, I calculated returns on four-week straddles starting in 2025. A straddle consists of buying a call option and a put option on a stock. The call and put should have the same strike and expiration date.

In a sense, this strategy removes direction from the equation, because the position can profit whether the stock goes up or down. The stock, however, must sustain a direction one way or the other within the four-week timeframe for the straddle to pay off.

A solid two-week move higher followed by an equally significant two-week move lower results in a big loss for a four-week straddle. In short, while straddles can capitalize on movement in either direction, sustained direction during the holding period is crucial for profitable returns.

The data below highlights stocks with ample option liquidity that have had weekly expiration dates available at least some of the time over the past year. The analysis assumes a straddle was purchased at the end of each qualifying week and held until expiration, with the position closed at intrinsic value.

Based on the average straddle return, the table below shows the top 20 stocks for four-week straddle plays purchased in 2025. It also shows each stock’s year-to-date return, percentage of straddles for that stock that were positive, and percentage which would have doubled an investor’s money.

Technology stocks make up a significant portion of this year’s list, with Western Digital (WDC) in the top spot, an large caps Oracle (ORCL), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD),  and Micron Technology (MU) closely behind.

Below is another list of 20 stocks that were good straddle plays in 2025. These are stocks with four-week straddles that were most likely to be positive. These equities wouldn’t have earned you the most money with their straddles, but they turned out winners more consistently than others. Western Digital (WDC) again tops the list. It surprised me that a few banks popped up on this list, including PNC Financial Services (PNC), Citigroup (C), and Goldman Sachs (GS).